The Good Works Reader (Classic Christian Readers)

Often claimed as one of the sparks that ignited the Reformation, the place of works in the Christian life continues to be hotly debated. In this helpful volume, distinguished theologian Thomas Oden draws together Christian teaching on this subject from across the centuries to provide a comprehensive witness on this essential topic. The Good Works Reader seeks to make faith active in love. To complete this task, Oden listens to the timeless teaching of the patristic writers, the theologians who defined orthodoxy in the first five centuries after Christ. His listening extends not only to the well-known fathers such as Augustine, Irenaeus, and Eusebius, but also to lesser-known yet important fathers such as Oecumenius, Pseudo-Basil, and Peter Chrysologus. Oden presents a side-by-side collection of the fathers teaching on treatment of the poor, the outcast, and the imprisoned, and an extensive discussion of the necessity of practical action. The second volume in Odens Classic Christian Readers set, The Good Works Reader will serve as an essential resource for Christians from all traditions who seek to balance the ancient tension between faith and works in their own lives.